


Stay here instead

by Loki_Slytherin



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Bad Parent Alice Cooper (Archie Comics), Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Good Parent Alice Cooper (Archie Comics), Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Minor Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Murder, Murderers, Past Alice Cooper/FP Jones II, Serial Killers, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29492586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Slytherin/pseuds/Loki_Slytherin
Summary: Betty cancels on Thanksgiving last minute leaving Alice alone. Alice goes to visit the only child who didn't abandon her.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Stay here instead

Alice walked down the long empty hallway, her feet hitting the floor with an empty sounding echo. The noise ran through her, tearing into her. God, she was so lonely. Alice kept walking, one foot in front of the other. Part of her wanted to leave. The other part didn't want to be alone.

The part of her that didn't want to be alone kept her moving forward.

She walked up to the cell and shivered slightly. The room was dark and gloomy, and she felt almost sad about how grim it was. She carefully sat down on the chair and picked up the telephone, watching as her son walked over to her. He sat down opposite her and tilted his head in a way that was annoyingly resemblant of his father.

"Charles." she whispered his name. Every time she had whispered his name, it was because she was too emotional to speak loudly without a trembling voice. Only three times before had she whispered his name. Once when he was born, naming him just as she abandoned him. Once when Chic showed up for the first time. And once when he approached her as an FBI agent and told her his identity.

"Alice." he said back quietly. "Why are you here."

"Too see you." Alice said quietly, her eyes falling to the table. She couldn't hold his gaze. In his eyes she saw Betty and Polly, and Juniper and Dagwood. They all had her eyes. She felt her eyes filling with tears, and she knew a slight sob made its way out of her mouth.

"Betty said she'd come back home. For thanksgiving. But she cancelled on me last minute." Alice confesses. "I thought I could finally have it all. I thought You would be there, and Betty, and FP, and Jughead and Jellybean, and Polly and the twins. I thought we'd be a family."

"I'm sorry." Charles replies. Alice can tell he's being sincere, his voice holds nothing but the truth, his eyes meet hers and she knows he truly is.

"Was it really too much to ask for? To have all my children there? Polly doesn't even care about me anymore, she still worships Edgar. You landed yourself here, and Betty doesn't need me anymore. Why couldn't I have been allowed some happiness? I just wanted you all to stay with me." Alice knows that tears are rolling down her cheeks. She doesn't care. she's been strong for too long already.

"We tried to stay. You pushed us away. All three of us ended up in the sisters of quiet mercy. You have no idea what that place is like, growing up there, its like being in hell. I never knew a moment of happiness. No one loved me. The sisters told us we were dirty freaks. Told us we were unlovable and that's why we got sent there. They kept us on drugs. When I left, I was already addicted. I got clean, eventually, but god, Alice, that place fucked up my whole life. I can't imagine it was much better for my sisters."

Alice turned away from him. Guilt threatened to consume her.

"Yeah! Well at least I understand what Betty did. But you, you are a monster. You killed them." Alice finds herself spitting out harsh words. She doesn't mean them, she doesn't want her son to believe he's a monster, as much as she might pretend otherwise.

"I was trying to protect them. Betty and Jughead. Brett, Donna and Joan tried to kill Jughead, and frame Betty for it. They were blackmailing them too, they had a tape of them in Jughead's dorm they threatened to release. You and FP weren't there for them, someone had to be. I did no worse than anyone else in this town. FP tried to kill Hiram, and yet you all pretend he did nothing wrong. I did no worse than that."

"Yeah you did do worse than that. FP did it to protect future attacks. You did it out of revenge. Brett was in prison, he could do no more harm, and still you got your boyfriend to murder him." Alice says. This feels wrong. She came here to seek comfort, not to start a fight.

"They were rich and clever. I tried my hardest, but the evidence against them was poor at best. Brett was going to be released sooner or later, and I did not want him back out here with a passion for revenge. He would have headed straight for Betty and Jughead, and this time, it would have been successful. I did it to protect them, just like FP shot Hiram, just like you shot Edgar."

Alice raises her eyes back up. She meets his.

"I'm sorry. I appreciate what you did. I shouldn't be saying this. But your right. This world, its kill or be killed." Alice said.

"Thank you. For being here. Today. With me. I know I'm not the child you wanted to spend thanksgiving with, but I appreciate it all the same." Charles said.

"Thank you. For saving them. For sacrificing yourself. For not abandoning me."


End file.
